6 islands eyed for ‘Discover the Visayas’ campaign

Local

SIX island destinations in the Visayas are being promoted as part of a connected travel network, with Cebu serving as the main gateway under a new campaign aimed at broadening tourism opportunities for local businesses.

The “Discover the Visayas, #FlyViaCebu” campaign brings together the Visayas Island-Chambers Tourism Alliance (VITA), Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) operator Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corp. (ACAC), the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).

The groups formalized their collaboration through a memorandum of understanding presented during the 52nd Philippine Business Conference and Expo in Manila on Oct. 13 to 14.

The initial network includes Lapu-Lapu, Panglao, Boracay, Siquijor, Guimaras and Biliran.

The partners aim to develop interconnected tourism circuits, strengthen air connectivity and help destinations prepare for increased visitor traffic.

The campaign encourages travelers to include several islands in one itinerary rather than visit only one destination.

By linking attractions across the region, the initiative seeks to extend visitor stays and distribute tourism spending among more communities.

“Each of our destinations has something unique to offer, and this collaboration gives us an opportunity to promote them as part of a more connected Visayas,” said Jobert A. Peñaflorida, PCCI area vice president.

Peñaflorida said the partnership could help more businesses benefit from tourism growth while making the participating destinations more accessible and competitive, strengthening local economies and creating long-term opportunities for communities.

For Aboitiz InfraCapital, the initiative underscores the need to combine airport connectivity with broader cooperation among tourism stakeholders.

“Partnerships like this are important because strengthening tourism requires more than improving airport connectivity,” said Christopher Camba, head of corporate affairs at Aboitiz InfraCapital.

Camba said VITA's knowledge of local destinations, the airport operator's experience connecting people and places, and the participation of DOT and PCCI could help improve destination competitiveness, support local enterprises and create more opportunities for communities.

The partnership covers joint destination marketing, tourism enterprise development, capacity building and programs promoting sustainable and inclusive tourism.

MCIA serves as a major domestic and international gateway to the Visayas. Its air connections and transfer services, including CEB Connects, help travelers pass through Cebu to reach other destinations in the region.

The initiative could open more opportunities for hotels, restaurants, tour operators, transport providers and retailers if it generates additional arrivals and encourages visitors to travel between islands. Its potential benefits, however, will depend on convenient transport connections, competitive travel packages and the capacity of local tourism services to accommodate more guests.

VITA introduced the participating destinations to delegates at the business conference, highlighting opportunities for multi-island travel.

Travelers can also use discoverthevisayas.com to explore destination information, find attractions and activities, and build itineraries based on their available time.

The website provides access to flight, accommodation and activity bookings through travel partners Trip.com and Klook.

Organized by PCCI, the annual business conference brought together business leaders, policymakers, economists and development partners under the theme “Raising the Bar: Empowering Business for a Resilient Future.”

The tourism partnership forms part of broader efforts to strengthen Philippine businesses through private sector cooperation, government support and improved connectivity, while expanding access to destinations and economic opportunities beyond established tourism gateways.

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism-Central Visayas (DOT 7) urged tourism establishments and service providers to take advantage of the continued waiver of accreditation processing fees, which also comes with streamlined documentation requirements.

DOT 7 OIC Regional Director Gelena Asis-Dimpas said accreditation provides access to ASEAN-aligned support, training, tourism expos, marketing activities and international promotional platforms.

It also allows the agency to endorse qualified businesses to other government agencies and industry partners for certain privileges.

The region recorded 3,500 accredited tourism establishments as of Sept. 30, 2026, up 25% from 2,804 during the same period last year.

These included 263 accredited water transport operators managing 560 motorized boats used for island-hopping and diving activities.

Tourism Regulations Division Chief Marlon Barrientos encouraged travelers to check accreditation before booking trips and tours.

Applications are available through accreditation.tourism.gov.ph, while DOT 7 also conducts mobile accreditation caravans with local government partners.

Accreditation is mandatory for primary tourism enterprises, including hotels, resorts, travel agencies, and land and water tourist transport operators, under Republic Act 9593.

The fee waiver, initially introduced under Memorandum Circular 2022-001 to help the tourism sector recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, remains in effect indefinitely.

The extension also supports the national government's Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT), launched under Executive Order No. 110 to help households and businesses cope with the effects of the Middle East crisis.(MyTVCebu)